So Valentine’s Day has come and gone…did you celebrate with a loved one? What are you doing now to continue the celebration? Have you already fallen back into that same old, same old rut? No!! Change your way of thinking and make intentional changes in your day to day; trust me, you will be amazed at the return in your investment.

Love makes the world go around and should be shared freely with everyone, all the time. But most especially it should be shown to your nearest and dearest every day of the year, not just on February 14th.

It doesn’t even take a lot of effort; instead just start a habit (habits can be engrained after 30 days of intentional effort). Once you get it going it won’t be so hard to keep it going and think of the fun it will bring.

Begin and end each day with a conversation and I mean a REAL conversation, without distractions such as TVs, phones, social media and so forth. Make eye contact, if face to face, and smile. Smiles can be felt even through the phone. Try it! It reminds people they matter to you.

Hug your loved ones. A minimum of 20 seconds per real, full-bodied hug reinforces your connections with others and remains with you throughout the day. It lifts spirits and reduces blood pressure and stress. It is medically proven! And if you are hugging a child… be sure you are the LAST to let go.

Don’t forget the little things add up to be big things. Leave a thank you note, replace the toilet paper or other little gestures that you know will resonate with your significant other. Maybe it only takes restocking the fridge with favorite munchies before they ask or grabbing an extra ice cream when treating yourself. Actions speak volumes.

Tell them how you feel. Say “I love you” or ” I appreciate who you are”. Your words may make such a difference in their day and you might not even recognize how much they needed to hear it. Do it anyway. I promise you won’t regret it.